Freeman Genealogy

FREEMAN GENEALOGY, IN THREE PARTS, VIZ., I. MEMORIAL OF EDMUND FREEMAN OF SANDWICH, AND HIS DESCENDANTS; ll. MEMORIAL OF SAMUEL FREEMAN OF WATERTOWN, AND HIS DESCENDANTS ; Ill. NOTES, HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL, OF FAMILIES OF THE NAME OF FREEMAN, DISTINCT FROM PARTS 1. AND IL, OR WHOSE CONNECTION IS NOT CLEARLY ASCERTAINED, "An old man was seated upon a monument, and busily employed in deepening with his chisel the letters of the inscription. • . Motives of the tnost sincere though fanciful devotion induced him to dedicate years to perform this tribute to the memory of the deceased. He con sidered himself as fulfilling a sacred duty, while renewing to the eyes of posterity·'the decaying emblems of their forefathers."- Vide Sir Walter Scott's mention of '~a stroll'" into a deserted "burial-ground."~; ij r i b a te E l:l it i o n. BOSTON: FRANKLIN PRESS: RAND, AVERY, AND COMPANY. 1875. FREEMAN GENEALOGY. SECOND EDITION. THE present volume differs in no respect from the first and pri vate edition, other than that business notices which appeared on the covers of NUMBERS successively issued_ and intended for the kin only, are here omitted as of no interest to the public. The present edition has been yielded to the suggestion of friends who have thought it expedient that such of the general public as may desire a copy of the work to complete a private col lection of genealogies, or for similar laudable purpose, may· find it of convenient access. Entered according to Act 0£ Congress, ·in the year 1875, by FREDERICK FREEMAN, in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, ARMS. Az.ure; three lozenges, or. Crest: a demi-lion rampant, gules, lolding between his paws a like lozenge. Motto : Liber et audax. INTRODUCTORY. IT is more than half a century since we initiated a habit of collecting and arranging materials such as are embraced in the following pages. Tedious to one's self, and uninteresting to the reader, would be particular mention of periods of labor, intervals of suspension, incentives to a completion of the work, or discourage ments that often seemed to forbid its further prosecution. At no time, however, have we been devoid of reverence for ancestry, or of a wish to contribute to a perpetuation of their memorial. But even now, after long-cherished intentions of giving some day to the press a Freeman Genealogy, we would, because of unpreparedness, post pone the attempt, were it not for apprehension that a duty already too long deferred may in that case be delayed forever. THEREFORE, without any further indulgence of presumptuous hope of a more auspicious future, we venture to gather up the materials that lie before us, and, without their being perfected as we have desired, submit them for the benefit of whom they may concern; with the trust that the volume will not be without interest to some of the thousands of Freeman lineage, and that, at least they may be of assistance to some one in future genealogical investigations. The argument long operative, that time may secure a more full and accurate report, has ceased to exert a controlling influence. The compiler feels that life is both short and uncertain, and presents these pages as they are. That an extended genealogy, - a work that has been aptly defined "the history of the succession of families;" the accomplished result 6 INTRODUCTORY. being sometimes denominated "a genealogical table, " and often, not improperly, "a genealogical tree," the record beginning with the trunk or root, and extending to embrace the remotest branches, that such a work, reaching through many generations and encircling numerous families widely scattered, can be perfected, no omission or error occurring, is a success not to be expected ; as any person conversant with the difficulties invariably attendant on such investi gations will concede. If the present result be no exception to the general rule, it will not be justly chargt!able upon the compiler that he has not taken great pains and used due diligence to make the genealogy accurate and complete as possible. If by any it be objected that the succeeding pages are fro·m beginning to end " a simply matter-of-fact document," presenting nothing of fiction or romance, nothing designed for mere embellish ment, and little thrown in for the sole purpose of obviating the tedium of otherwise necessarily dry statistics, we are free to confess that such has been the rule to which we endeavored to adhere. The labor has been severely restricted, and to an indifferent eye may seem whimsically akin to the work of him whose acquaintance Sir Walter made ih the churchyard at Di.mnottar; but nevertheless, kind reader, indulge us in the pleasure of saying, our employment has not been entirely uncompensative; for we have found filially-serious satisfaction in endeavors to remove the moss of age from lineal and historic events, that the record may be legible. to such as incline to read. w· e only add a few words explanatory: - I. In the pages following, the issues of the FEMALE BRANCHES of families are recorded for but one generation. The children follow the surname of the father. The line thus limited and suspended ( for otherwise our labor would seem interminable) is thenceforward left for future genealogies to be written in memorial of surnames which by marriage were assumed. Many thousands of lineal de scendants are thus of necessity passed by, whose names it would have given us pleasure to have proudly inserted. INTRODUCTORY. 7 II. Let it also~ for the convenience of the reader, be noted, that the double-dating, which occurs in the mention of early generations, is in conformity with early practice. In all public records prior to the year 1752, the" Old-Style" manner of dating prevailed. March was the first month, th~ year beginning March 25. This mode of reckoning has presented sometimes, to readers not bearing the fact in mind, singular discrepancies. For instance: Mather's Magnalia tells that President Chauncy died February, r 671, and that he " attended commencement July" of the same year; again, Peter Hobart died January, 1678, and was "infirm the whole summer" of that year. These illustrations, cited from the books, are appropriate. It is well also to bear in mind, that, between the 1st and 25th of March, there was no uniform way of disposing of the days, -they being sometimes applied to the latter year. The New Style proposed by Pope Gregory XIII. in 1582, and gradually adopted by civilized countries, became that of Great Britain and her American Colonies i,n 17 52 ; from which time January became the first month, instead of March. To correct dates of the Old Style, or Julian manner of com putation, to conform to the New Style, or Gregorian method, ten days are usually" added to all dates to the close of 1699, and eleven days after. Ilut even this does not strictly conform to the exact solar year; and much speculation has, in consequence, sometimes been expended in efforts to determin_e the precise date of remote events. III. Permit a word also touching the pZan of genealogy. It is simple: the Arabian figures mark the numbers in the line of descent ; the Roman letters number the children of a family. To trace back the line of descent, take the Arabian number prefixed to any name, and refer that to the person whose issue is given, and repeat the sa1!1e with each preceding generation. Thus: Nos. 51, iv., show that John Freeman was the fourth child of Edmund Freeman, num bered 15 of the succession. Turning to No. 15, Edmund of the third generation is found to be the son of Edmund No. 3, of the second generation, &c. · Or to further simplify the matter, and make 8 INTRODUCTORY. it apparent beyond all doubt, let it be said, The column of figures on the left margin of the page is, from beginning to end, the general enumeration ; and, when any such number is starred, the asterisk denotes reference to a distinct paragraph where the name and issue of the individual may be found. IV. Let it further be noted, that in order to condense our record, and avoid prolixity, abbreviations are used; such as b. for born, m. for married, d. for died, s. for son, y. for young, ::e. for aged, bap. for baptized, ad. for admitted, dis. for dismissed, res. for resided, rem. for removed, grad. for graduated, prob. for probably, and others which in their connection will obviously suggest their own meaning. Wherever (?) occurs, it may be understood to indkate uncertainty. Towns once mentioned will, in connection, thereafter be designated by the initials; as, S. for Sandwich, or by Be. for Barnstable, Br. for Brewster, &c. F. F. SANDWICH, MASS,, 1875. PART I. MEMORIAL OF MR. EDMOND FREEMAN OF SANDWICH, AND HIS DESCENDANTS. REGRETTING the absence of definite, positive, and reliable information in regard to the place of nativity of our Ancestor, or the precise date of his birth, we can only gather such facts as remain, and submit them to the reader. Family tradition has it that "he came from Devonshire." There are circum stances indicating that he came "from Oxford." He was born, as is supposed, in the year 1 590: Touching the future of his life, we are in no uncertainty.'-' He came from England in the year 1635, in "the ship 'Abigail,' Richard Hackwell master." The loading of the ship was begun in May ; and, "after considerable delay," "The Abigail " " sailed from London, " arrived safely in this country, and" with her came many passengers." It has been truly remarked, that" the ten years between 1630 and 1640 witnessed by far the greater part of the early emigration to New England." It was so multitudinous, and so marked by one character; that the jealousy of the parent government was alarmed; and in 1634, just previous to the contemplated arrangements of our Ancestor for his depar ture, Laud, Neile, and others were appointed Commissioners of Colonies .with both civil and ecclesiastical authority.

Load more